Device for transferring groups of rods from a rake-type cooling bed to a series of rollers for charging a cooling bed cold shears

ABSTRACT

A device for transferring articles such as rods from a first location such as from a rake type cooling bed to a second location such as onto a series connected roller bed for feeding or charging a cooling bed cold-shears comprises at least one endless conveyor belt which is located between the first station and the second station. The endless conveyor belt if only one is employed includes an effective reach which is shiftable upwardly and downwardly in a vertical plane in order to shift the end thereof which is remote from the pickup or first station in respect to the delivery or second station. Each conveyor belt includes a plurality of areas along the length which have receiving teeth between which the rods to be transferred are engaged and also an area which is smooth between each receiving tooth section. The apparatus may include a stationary endless conveyor arranged adjacent the receiving station and an additional conveyor extending from the first conveyor to the depositing station and which is shiftable in a vertical plane in order to provide an interception of the feed for lift off from the first conveyor and a delivery of the material to the second or receiving station.

United States Patent 1 Reth et al.

[451 June 5, 1973 [54] DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING GROUPS OF RODS FROM ARAKE- TYPE COOLING BED TO A SERIES OF ROLLERS FOR CHARGING A COOLING BEDCOLD SHEARS [75] Inventors: Erich Reth, 41 Duisburg-Buchholz WalterUthmann, 41 Duisburg, both of Germany [73] Assignee: DEMAG, Duisburg,Wolfgang- Reuter-Platz, Germany 22 Filed: Apr. 5, 1971 [211 Appl.No.:131,089

[30] 7 Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 20, 1970 Germany .;.P 2018 849.2

[52] US. Cl. ..l98/20 R, 198/22 [51] Int. Cl ..B65g 47/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..198/34, 27, 20, 21, 198/22, 22 R [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 3,375,941 4/1968 Repper ..198/27 3,093,234 6/1963 Janssen..l98/34 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,334,415 7/1963 France..198/34 Primary ExaminerRichard E. Aegerter Att0mey.lohn J. McGlew andAlfred E. Page [57] ABSTRACT A device for transferring articles such asrods from a first location such as from a rake type cooling bed to asecond location such as onto a series connected roller bed for feedingor charging a cooling bed cold-shears comprises at least one endlessconveyor belt which is located between the first station and the secondstation. The endless conveyor belt if only one is employed includes aneffective reach which is shiftable upwardly and downwardly in a verticalplane in order to shift the end thereof which is remote from the pickupor first station in respect to the delivery or second station.

terception of the feed for lift off from the first conveyor and adelivery of the material to the second or receiving station.

1 Claim, l Drawing Figure Patented June 5, 1973 In ventors ERIC H 25 THW4L7ER UTHMA/VA ATTORNE Y5 DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING GROUPS OF RODS FROM ARAKE-TYPE COOLING. BED TO A SERIES OF ROLLERS FOR CHARGING A COOLING BEDCOLD SI-IEARS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in generalto devices for feeding and storing elements such as rods to be treatedand in particular to a new and useful device for transferring groups ofrods from a rake-type cooling bed to a series connected delivery rollerbed for charginga cooling bed-cold shears.

The invention is particularly applicable for use in a metallurgicalplant for controlling the feed of metal rods between a cooling bed and aroller bed provided for removing the groups of rods from the cooling bedand for depositing them on the roller bed which feeds to a bed-coldshears. It is known to use, as a transfer unit, a transfer rake whichoverlaps the cooling bed with its moving rakes by several rake teeth orrack teeth. Such an arrangement includes a moving rake which extends tothe opposite side of the roller bed and has a rake division which is thesame as the division of the cooling bed and it is provided with aseparate independently controllable drive. In this known device thetransfer unit works in a normal operation in synchronism with thecooling bed rake. This has the result that the rods arrive in theprovided divisions on the delivery roller bed. These divisionscorrespond to the profile division of the blade of the cool bed shears.By means of the independently controllable drive the transfer rake canbe switched to a high speed when the delivery roller bed is alreadyloaded with some of the rods and only a few rods have to be transported.The transfer rake is arranged to make as many revolutions within a veryshort time as the teeth of the moving rakes of the cooling bed so thatthe divisions overlap. Since the cooling bed rake maintains its speed ofrevolution empty teeth are formed in the range of the overlap raketeeth. As soon as the delivery roller bed is fully loaded with rods andthese rods are evacuated the transfer rake is stopped. This has theeffect that the cooling bed can work continuously independently ofwhether the transfer of the rods or groups of rods to the roller bed iseffected continuously or intermittently.

The disadvantage of the known device however is that there is nopossibility for storing the rods arriving from the rake-type cooling bedduring times of difficulty or trouble for example on the cold shears.Beyond this it is not possible to collect flat materials in packs on thetransfer unit and to thereafter transfer them correspondingly faster tothe roller bed.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a transferunit which comprises at least one arrangement of endless chains or beltsin the form of a conveyor having a reach which cooperates with both thecooling bed and the roller bed during its movement in the manner of acomb; and which includes at least a section which may be shifted betweenan upper position in which the upper reach is located above the top ofthe roller bed and a lower position in which the upper reach is locatedbelow the topside of the roller bed. Each of the endless chains orconveyor belts have alternate sections of rake teeth and smooth portionsof equal length arranged side by side along the length of the conveyorbelts and of a size corresponding to the working width of the rollerbed. The arrangement permits the transfer of a group of rods between theteeth of the conveyor and the positioning of the rod in correspondingrecesses between a set of rollers which operate to deliver the rods tofurther treatment means such as a shear.

In the preferred arrangement a first stationarily arranged conveyor beltis provided with sets of teeth at spaced intervals on its length whichregularly engage with sets of rods which are delivered from the coolingbed and which move them outwardly away from the bed. Arranged alongsidethis first conveyor is a second conveyor which also is shiftable in avertical plane so that its top reach may be arranged either below orabove the top reach of the first conveyor and it may also be arrangedeither above or below the holding plane of the rolls for feeding therods off to the shears. The two conveyors are operated in synchronysothat sets of the rods are transferred from one to the other andthereafter they may be positioned so that they can be transferred ontothe rollers and in order to effect the transfer the conveyor belt isshifted in a vertical plane for example preferably about a pivot definedby one of the guide rollers for the conveyor.

The device of the invention has the advantage that relatively longerintermediate periods are available for removing the rods from the rollerbed because the intermediate transportation by means of a transfer unitcomprising the conveyor belt or chain can be effected at a higher speedwith a transfer rake brought to a very high speed of revolution. Inaddition, the individual transfer units in the forms of conveyor beltsor chains may be employed as storage units for a certain number of rodsthat have already been taken over by the cooling bed when there isdifficulty in operation for example when there is a delay in theoperation of the roll feeding unit. The conveyors are made of asufficient length and are provided with a sufficient number of sectionsfor handling groups of rods to insure that such storage can besufficient. By the use of two transfer conveyor arrangements with one ofthem being movable for the transfer from one of the belts to the rollerdelivery system, a much wider adaptability to the various operatingconditions may be effected.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improveddevice for effecting the transfer of objects, particularly groups ofrods, from a rake type cooling bed to a series connected rolling bed forcharging a cooling bed cold shears which includes at least one conveyorhaving spaced groups of tooth like elements having recesses therebetweenfor accommodating individual rods of the group, and wherein the conveyoris movable to advance the individual tooth groups with the rods from apickup location to a deposit location on the rolled units supplying theshears.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device fortransferring objects, such as rods, which includes a first conveyorhaving a plurality of spaced sets of evenly spaced receiving recessesthereon which are engagable with individual rod elements located betweenthe spaces, and a second conveyor which is mounted so that at least theupper reach thereof is movable in a vertical plane; and wherein thesecond conveyor is located between the first conveyor and a rollerdelivery system having a plurality of feed rollers, and it may be mouldin a vertical plane for first picking the rods from the first conveyorand then transferring a group of the rods directly intothe recessbetween the feed rollers.

I A further object of the invention is to provide atrans- V fer systemfor groups of rodswhich is simplein design,

rugged in construction and economical to manufac ture. I

The various features of novelty which characterize the inventionare'pointed out with particularity in the claims ennexed to an forming apart of this'disclosurel BRIEF DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWING,

outer pulley 6a, about the axis Ito .solid line to the dotted lineposition shownin lthe drawing. Both the section 33 of thebelt 3 and thesection 33 of the belt 5 are arranged at fixed spacedlocations on theassociated belt, withth'esmooth sections 3b, 5c beingofequal length andof the same lengthas the rod receiving sections. In the lowermostposition the end,

facing thecooling bed 1 of the conveyor Sis located beneath the upperreachof the conveyor 3, In the top position or solid line position,shown in the drawing, the conveyor 5 extends over the top of the rollerbed I I The roller'bedZ comprises both plain' and profiled rollers anditcan bemoved by raising and lowering it into and out of operatingposition depending uponjthe type of material to be fed to'the coldshears. l

The only FIGURE of the drawing is a schematic verf tical sectional viewof a transfer system constructed in accordance with the invention.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to thedrawings in particular, the invention embodied therein comprises adevice for transferring articles, such as rods, from a roller bed sideof a raketype cooling bed 1 to a roller bed 2 which is schematicallyindicated but which includes a plurality of feed rollers 2 a, arrangedto rotate about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of thedrawings and which are arranged to feed the rods into association withbedcold shears (not shown). The group of rollers 2a are arranged inabutting relationship and they define rod receiving spaces 2btherebetween for receiving individual rods which are to be delivered toshears (not shown).

In accordance with the invention, the rods are transferred from thecooling bed 1 to the roller bed 2 by means of conveyor means whichincludes; in the embodiment shown, first and second conveyors arrangedin overlapping fashion for feeding from the cooling bed 1 to the firstconveyor, and then a transfer to the second conveyor which moves theninto a position for deposit onto the roll bed 2.

The first conveyor generally designated 3, comprises an endless belt orchain 30 which is guided over a triangular track over guide rollers 4,4a and 4b. The roller 4b, for example, is a driving roller and it movesthe endless belt or chain 30 to advance evenly spaced sets of rodreceiving elements 33 through a path first intercepting the rake-typecooling bed 1 and then moving outwardly beyond this bed in a directiontoward the roller bed 2. Each rod receiving means 33 includes aplurality of spaced teeth 30, which define recesses therebetween 3a foraccommodating individual rods (not shown) which are to be transferred.The spaces between each set of rod receiving means 33 on the belt 30 aremade smooth as indicated at 3b.

The embodiment shown in the only FIGURE of the drawing includes a secondconveyor generally designated 5, which includes guide pulleys 6a and 6b,over which is movable an endless belt or chain 50. The belt or chain 50includes evenly spaced sets of rod receiving elements 33' similar inconstruction to the elements 33 for the belt 3. Each of the receivingelements 33' include teeth 5a having spaces 5b therebetween forreceiving the individual rods. In accordance with a feature of theconstruction the conveyor unit 5 may be shifted in a vertical plane forexample by pivoting the 6 method of operating the device to theinvention is as followsi I i l When the profiled material is to be takenout of the cooling bed 1, the conveyor unit 3 is started and soregulated that the first rod leaving the cooling bed arrives between thefirst two teeth 3a of the rod receiving section 33. The speed of theunit 3 isadjusted to the speed with which the rods leave the cooling bed1, so that the second transferred rod arrives between the second andthird tooth 3a, 3a. As soon as the intervals between all of the teeth 3aare filled the conveyor 3 is accelerated until the head of the followingsection arrives at the discharge end of the cooling bed 1. Then thespeed is reduced and the respective section 33 is loaded. The smoothsection 3b between the rod receiving sections 33 are not ordinarlly usedin a transfer of the profiled material.

When the loaded section 33 is advanced from the position A to theposition B transfer unit or conveyor 5 is in the lowered position inwhich the upper reach moves below the upper reach of the conveyor 3. Thedrive of the conveyor 5 is so adjusted that the speed of the section 33is identical with the speed of the section 33 of the conveyor 3. Care istaken that the sections 33 and as as well as the smooth sections 3b and5c overlap or are superposed or juxtaposed. If the conveyor 5 istherefore turned upwardly by rotating it about the axle 7, the section33' takes over the material which is arranged on the section 33 andtransports it to the roller bed 2. When the sections are at a locationoverlying the roller bed, the conveyor 5 is again lowered and thematerial becomes deposited within the spaces 2b between the rollers 2a.There is time to feed the material to the cold shears before the nextgroup of rods are delivered by the next section 33.

The conveyor 5 is either raised to the solid line position or lowered tothe dotted line position shown by lift means generally designated whichincludes a fluid pressure operated cylinder 102 which may be operatedmanually by an operator to move a piston having-a rod 104 which isconnected to the conveyor S.

The above described arrangement has thus the effect that the material ismaintained in individual groups which can be delivered and deposited allat once on the feeding rollers. If flat material, for example, is to befed to the roller bed either bundled or loosely arranged, the speed ofthe units 3 and 5 are adjusted so that the rods coming from the coolingbed I arrive on the smooth section 3b of the conveyor 5. As soon as thesection 3b is loaded the conveyor 3 is accelerated so that the rodreceiving sections 33 remain free.

shift; it from the In a similar manner the material arranged closelyside by side on a smooth section 3b is taken over by the section 50 whenthe unit 5 is raised and it is fed to the roller bed in this manner. Thedeposit on the roller bed 2 is effected by lowering the profile rollsand raising the smooth rolls and by again pivoting the unit 5 in avertical plane to cause it to move downwardly below the surface of therollers 2.

The conveyors 3 and 5 may be made longer to obtain an increased storagefacility for the materials which are to be transferred. This permits thestopping of the conveyors whenever difficulty is encountered, forexample, whenever the shears must be stopped. In some instances it ispossible to let one of the sections 33 or 33' move beyond its dischargelocation and if necessary move it backwardly when the final delivery isto be made.

A simple arrangement for the application of the invention comprisesusing one conveyor 5 which is long enough to permit the sections 33' toengage in the cooling bed 1 and which also may be raised or lowered invertical plane. In this case it is advisable however to arrange thereversing point of the operation on the side of the cooling bed 1.

It should also be appreciated that it is also possible to work with onlythe conveyor 3 if the latter is extended so that its upper reach extendsbeyond the roller bed 2 and is designed that it can turn in a verticaldirection about the axle of the guide roller 4 which is closest to thecooling bed 1.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the principles ofthe invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for transferring articles such as metal rods and flat platesfrom a first location such as raketype cooling bed to a second locationsuch as a roller bed for charging a cooling bed-cold shears, comprisinga cooling bed station, a roller bed located at a spaced location fromsaid cooling bed station and at least one conveyor having at least twospaced apart guide rollers with an endless conveyor member trainedtherearound having an upper reach trained to run from the vicinity ofsaid cooling bed station to and beyond said roller bed station, the axisof at least one of said guide rollers being vertically displaceable toraise and lower at least one end of the upper reach, said endlessconveyor member having a plurality of rod receiving sections arranged atequally spaced locations along the length with a plurality of rod-sizedreceiving recesses thereon for accommodating a plurality of rods infixed orientation and also having flat unobstructed portions betweensaid recesses for receiving flat plates, said upper reach being movablewith the article receiving sections to advance the recesses under thearticles in succession to move them out of said cooling bed and to movethem to said roll station and alternatively to stop' and hold them abovesaid roll station for temporary storage, said upper reach beinglowerable after the articles reach said roller bed station to lower thearticles onto the roller bed, said upper reach being located at a spacedlocation from said cooling bed station and including a second conveyorlocated between said cooling bed station and the end of said conveyorand having a second conveyor endless member with a plurality of spacedarticle receiving sections thereon with bar-size receiving recesses andflat unobstructed portions comparable in spacing and number to those ofsaid first conveyor and being movable to pick up articles at saidcool-ing bed station and to transfer them to said first conveyor.

1. A device for transferring articles such as metal rods and flat platesfrom a first location such as rake-type cooling bed to a second locationsuch as a roller bed for charging a cooling bed-cold shears, comprisinga cooling bed station, a roller bed located at a spaced location fromsaid cooling bed station and at least one conveyor having at least twospaced apart guide rollers with an endless conveyor member trainedtherearound having an upper reach trained to run from the vicinity ofsaid cooling bed station to and beyond said roller bed station, the axisof at least one of said guide rollers being vertically displaceable toraise and lower at least one end of the upper reach, said endlessconveyor member having a plurality of rod receiving sections arranged atequally spaced locations along the length with a plurality of rod-sizedreceiving recesses thereon for accommodating a plurality of rods infixed orientation and also having flat unobstructed portions betweensaid recesses for receiving flat plates, said upper reach being movablewith the article receiving sections to advance the recesses under thearticles in succession to move them out of said cooling bed and to movethem to said roll station and alternatively to stop and hold them abovesaid roll station for temporary storage, said upper reach beinglowerable after the articles reach said roller bed station to lower thearticles onto the roller bed, said upper reach being located at a spacedlocation from said cooling bed station and including a second conveyorlocated between said cooling bed station and the end of said conveyorand having a second conveyor endless member with a plurality of spacedarticle receiving sections thereon with bar-size receiving recesses andflat unobstructed portions comparable in spacing and number to those ofsaid first conveyor and being movable to pick up articles at saidcooling bed station and to transfer them to said first conveyor.